


The Enderbeast

by StormyNight108



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Basically they're in a minecraft world, F/M, I don't know what to put here, Only because when you can respawn in games sometimes you gotta kill yourself, oh uh tw for suicide mentions, they're just in trouble, when are they not, yeah it's one of those stories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-03 20:58:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2887670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormyNight108/pseuds/StormyNight108
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a monster. A legend that shouldn't even exist. No one knew what it was capable of until long after they'd all been teleported and scattered across the lands. Separated and lost, with no way of teleporting back, the citizens of Achievement City embark on their journey to return home. Or at least, return to what's left of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Long Way from Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, and welcome! I don't really have much to say, but I hope you enjoy! This has been sitting in my documents for a while, but I really want to pick this story up and give it a go. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and I'll try to update this regularly. Thanks friends!

"What can I do for you, sir?"

Michael tugs at the edge of his cloak, his foot beginning to tap against the rail of his chair while he fought the discomfort. It's chilly outside, and the cold air is seeping through the windows and door cracks. There are a few pairs of eyes trained on the back of his head, he feels them now, and he can't say that he blames them. Everyone else in the room were no doubt regulars. Most villages don't take kindly to strangers.

At least the waiter has the decency to treat him kindly. "I'll have some mushroom stew if you have it." Michael tells him.

The man busies himself and Michael rasps his knuckles against the counter. When he returns, Michael takes the stew in his steady hands, holding himself back from grabbing it and downing it in one swallow. He was in public, and this was not his city. 

"Thank you, sir." Michael says, placing the plate against the wood countertop and leaning on his forearms. Unsure of how to start the question (and chastising himself for not thinking this through beforehand), he waves with his hand to get the waiter's attention once more. 

The man stops and turns expectantly, a pleasent smile on his face. Michael almost sneers at him. He is in the middle of a crisis and this man has the audacity to treat the day as any other.

Not like he would know, of course.

"Yeah, so um, I'm obviously not from around here, and news doesn't usually reach me in the fastest of forms. Have you ever heard of Achievement City?"

The man scoffs and buisies himself with drying a glass. "Yes, I have. I'm surprised there are people who don't know of the place."

"You think they're well-known?"

"Not a soul would know their names had they not obtained respawn  
crystals." He points out, and Michael sips at his stew. "Throwing their lives this way and that for the sake of it. It's disgusting."

Michael grinds his teeth and tries not to seem offended. He never usually visited other villages and towns, and now he remembers why. "Well, I heard about a little mishap that happened in their City about three days ago. Would you happen to know what it was?"

The man thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. "Unfortunately, news doesn't travel here easily. We're a bit out of the way."

Michael nods, his eyes beginning to wander. So not many people heard about what happened. He supposes that this is a good thing, otherwise others might take advantage of the opportunity. His next question slips from his lips before he can really think about it. "If I may ask, in which direction is Achievement City?"

The waiter stops and turns, as well as two of the people sitting nearby him. One of the horses parked outside whinnies, but Michael pays it no mind. He feels more stares on the back of his head.

"Are you planning on travelling there, sir?" The waiter asks after several moments of a long, drawn out silence. Michael wonders if asking was a bad idea. 

First the mention of a mishap, then news of a stranger traveling to such a City. Michael can feel it, they're beginning to wonder if the problem did something that could allow them treasure to take. They may believe it is why he is travelling there now. He is not a mind reader by any means, but as he studies their faces he feels their curiosity to a dangerous degree, and he begins to figit even more under the pressure.

"No sir, there is a Town nearby their City that I'm trying to reach. No one knows of it's name, so I ask for directions to a place people know, and eventually find my way home using their directions."

A few of the gazes relax at the explination, but Michael's heart is drumming in his ears. 

"I know the names of many Towns and Villages, perhaps I may know of it?"

In Michael's head, he curses and reaches his memory out to the surrounding Towns nearby his home City. When he thinks of one, he opens his mouth to speak it, but stops short when he meets the gaze of the waiter. The man's eyes are wide and surprised- almost fearful. Michael locks his gaze with the waiter, expectantly waiting for him to speak, until he realizes that the waiter is not looking into his eyes. Instead, his attention is concentrated on the young warrior's chest.

Too late does Michael glance down and notice the bright red gem peeking through his attire. He clears his throat as casually as possible and moves to tuck it in further, but he knows it's too late. It had been seen. And the waiter's gaze finally snaps up to his own, their eyes locking with a sense of unease.

"Well, thank you for your time sir." Michael pulls out several coins and drops them on the counter with a chaotic clatter, sliding sideways out of his chair and turning around towards the door. "Have a good afternoon."

A hand grasps his cloak and pulls him back around before he realizes what's happening, and the waiter tugs him against the counter so that his chest presses against the wooden countertop, his feet coming off the ground. A few people gasp and jump up, stepping away from the sudden situation. Michael struggles, fighting the panic in the pit of his stomach. The waiter's hand fishes into Michael's cloak and grasps the bright rock tied around his neck, pulling it out to see in the light. The waiter's eyes grow as wide as the moon, his fingers turning the gem over in his hand while the chain it's tied to tugs at Michael's neck.

Several people have stood up at the sign of the commotion, but Michael pays them no mind. "Hey, what are you doing! My wife gave me that ruby!" He shouts, unsure of what else to do.

The waiter doesn't show any sign that he heard the young warrior, anyway. "A respawn crystal..." He muses, the bright red color sparkling in his own eyes.

Michael's hand moves. Slowly, cautiously, and deliberately, his fingers trace the hilt of the sword at his hip. He grasps it firmly in his hand, counts to three, and then draws it with a loud, sharp noise. One foot kicks against the side of the counter and his free hand snatches the respawn crystal out of the man's fingers. Michael takes two steps away and tucks the crystal back into his clothing, his sword now pointed at the waiter.

Some people had screamed at the sudden movement, Michael registers, but now the building is dead silent. Everyone's watching the stranger with the sword pointed at their waiter.

"I said," Michael begins, taking another step towards the door. "Have a good afternoon."

That was when two heavyset guys jumped him from behind. They were strong, sending panic into the pit of Michael's gut the moment he's knocked to the ground, and his fingers almost release the sword in his hand in his shock. Almost.

He knocks the blade-end into the brown-haired guy's arm because it's the first thing he can hit, and once he gets the guy reeling a bit, his brain functions easier. He's laying out the situation, analyzing the odds, and really just comprehending the problem at hand.

"Get the crystal!" The waiter yells frantically, and Michael doesn't turn around to see his reactions. He instead swings his elbow backwards against the blond guy's head before smacking him in the stomach with the flat end of his sword. He doesn't really want to cause bloodshed right now. It's really not necessary. Burnette guy reaches for his throat, and Michael's free hand punches the guy in the face.

Someone else in the diner joins the fray, his hand reaching out to grab Michael's crystal. Michael shoves against him and tries to stand, twisting and turning to land blows with his sword and fist against his apprehenders. They're tough. Another man joins the fight.

They want the respawn crystal.

Blond guy's sword catches him in the forearm and Michael curses aloud, spinning around and launching up to kick him in the face. It doesn't do much against the big mass of weight, but it gives Michael enough time to free himself and make a break for it.

"After him!" The waiter yells as Michael throws the wooden door open. He cradles his injured arm in his other hand, and then looking in several different directions for means of escaping, he finds one that just might do the trick. Even if it did involve stealing.

He takes one look at the horses to his left before Blond and Burnette bust the door open behind him. He's saddled as fast as he can atop a dappled gray horse, cutting the rope holding it to the post with his sword and turning the horse around. It's hooves scatter and clop against the stony ground in it's attempt to hasten.

Blond guy grabs at the edge of Michael's yellow shorts last second as he tries to drag him off the horse, and Michael picks his foot up and slams his heel down onto the man's fat nose in reply. The man recoils backwards and lands on his hide, and then Michael's off, galloping into the forest line surrounding the small village, with Blond and Burnette equipping themselves with bows and arrows and get on their own horses to pursue him.

Michael only spares them one look back before plunging into the thick forests.

~-*-~

There's blood on her face from a cut on her forehead. It's crimson and thick, and it's dripping down her cheek and onto her cloak, but Lindsay tries not to let it get in the way of her concentration. She feels a bit dizzy, but moves to stand anyway. There's too much at stake to lose focus right now.

The enderbeast roars.

She knows someone is approaching when heavy breathing meets her ears, coming up behind her on her right. She knows that it's Ray, but she doesn't turn to look, and instead takes a moment to steady her own breathing before sprinting forward again, sword held backhanded beside her. Her grip is tight, and she manages a small smile to herself. Geoff always chastised her for the improper position, yes, but she couldn't help but resort to drastic measures. Because, so far, their plans on attacking have been futile. And she was not in the mood to die today.

It's dark in Achievement City despite the various torches lighting their surroundings, and all the citizens are present in the center with weapons drawn. They're attempting to surround and attack the beast, but so far, it's proving to be futile. Nothing's working.

She hacks at it with her sword and dives around, attempting to cut it through it'd thick skin. It roars and lunges at her, but she ducks and attempts to plunge her sword into it's throat. The beast brings its head around and smashes the side of it's face into her arm, causing her to cry out and release the grip on her weapon as it gets thrown several feet away from her. Her balance is shot, and she tumbles to the ground. The enderbeast poises to bite her, a terrifying view of it's fangs and mouth, before a sword plunges into it's jaw and Jeremy is tugging at her cloak to help her up. She stumbles to get to her feet, air leaving her lungs in short and desperate gasps, and mutters a breathy "Thanks" as she grabs Jeremy's arm to steady herself.

Ray attacks with a diamond sword and slices at one of it's legs just as Lindsay and Jeremy fall back. The beast is large and fat like a bug, with 6 small, thin legs. One would think slicing them would be easy, but it's skin is tough. The enderbeast kicks at Ray with one of it's legs and he dodges, spinning before attempting to plunge the blade into the body of the beast. It goes through, but it barely affects the ender, just as every other weapon had failed to harm it.

The monster jerks away, taking the embedded sword with it and leaving Ray defenseless. The enderbeast plunges it's jaw down to bite Ray, and even though the boy tries to dodge by leaping backwards, one of it's fangs manages to catch him and rips into his forearm with a sharp tug. Blood bubbles at the wound, even from where Lindsay can see, and then Ray's scream rips through the air, a loud, throaty yell full of agony as he's yanked off of his feet by his arm.

Ryan jumps in at that point with Jack behind him, and they leap upon it's back from the height of Jack's porch. Their swords penetrate it's skin though it doesn't do much, and instead it merely shakes them off, taking it's fang out of Ray's arm. The two men are thrown several feet before landing in heaps in the grass several yards to Lindsay's right, and Ray is stumbling away from the beast with his injured arm cradled against his chest.

It's large leg reaches up and presses firmly into Ray's fleeing back, causing him to stumble forward. The beast pins him down, it's leg digging right between his shoulderblades, and Lindsay is running as fast as she can with Jeremy and Matt right behind her, and her eyes are wide with Ray's name leaving her throat in a fit of panic. Michael's closer, and the warrior attempts to apprehend the leg of the beast pinning his friend to the ground. Before anyone can reach Ray, however, the beast seems to glitch and faze before Lindsay's very eyes, and then Ray's gone from beneath the beast in a puff of purple and black.

Lindsay doesn't really understand what had just happened, and Michael had stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide with horror where he's frozen. Lindsay is still running though, but this time she races towards her husband.

"Where's Ray?!" Lindsay shouts above the chaos, and grabs at Michael's arm in a vice of panic.

"I don't know!" He shouts, gripping her arm in return and retreating back to the line of other Achievement City citizens at the edge of the houseline.

Jeremy and Matt both raise their weapons to attack the beast, Jeremy going for the head and Matt going for the belly. Their swords do nothing from where Lindsay can see, and then she turns and watches as Geoff reaches Ryan and Jack several yards away where they had landed. An arrow rips through the air and penetrates the skin of the beast's back, and Lindsay glances up to see Gavin poised atop Ray's house where he is firing arrows at the enderbeast. Kdin and Caleb attempt to apprehend it and help Matt and Jeremy, But their attempts still do nothing but scratch the enderbeast, and Lindsay swallows heavily before leaping back into the heat of battle. The blood is still seeping from her headwound, and a bit of it had reached her lips. The taste of blood only fuels her adrenaline further.

This is strangely familiar to Lindsay. She's not sure how she remembers; but for some reason, she knows what comes next.

All around her, there are at least twenty Achievement City citizens surrounding the beast, and they die at it's bite, or it's poison, or they drown in a puddle of it's spitting lava as their skin slowly melts away. The scent itself makes Lindsay feel sick, and she turns away.

They have their respawn crystals. As much as Lindsay sympathizes with the pain of death they must endure, she knows for a fact that they will be okay. At least, when concerning Ray, she certainly hopes so.

And then the monster turns. It throws it's head back with it's jaw dropped. It gurgles and makes a strangled choking noise, before snapping it's head to the side and releasing a wave of lava.

The houses in the area are suddenly engulfed in lava and flame, and thick black smoke suffocates the sky. The line of lava reaches Ray's roof and Gavin leaps off of it for his life, screaming as he falls to the ground several feet below. He lands heavily on his stomach, the breath leaving his lungs as the ground drives it out. But as Lindsay watches, she can hear his shrill cry of "Geoff!" where he pulls his head off the ground, attempting to alert the Gents in warning.

All three men snap their heads up as the monster repeats his action, now aimed at the fighters surrounding him. Reaction time slows them, but they tumble and move as swiftly as they possibly could to get out of the way of the lava blast. And then the enderbeast turns once more.

It doesn't worry her. At least, it doesn't at first. It's not until Ryan's breathless voice reaches her ears as he's hurriedly speaking to Geoff the moment she approaches their area.

"-houses are on fire- they- the beds-"

"What are you-" Geoff cuts himself off and Lindsay flips around. She can see the expression on their faces. it's raw, pure horror. But... she doesn't feel startled, for some reason. The houses are on fire and their respawn beds are going to burn and, why does this seem so familiar?

If the beds catch fire and the crystal attached to the bed melts, there will be no respawning.

And when she turns, everything seems to happen in text-book rememberance. The enderbeast receives another stabwound to the eye, curtousey of Jack, his feet planted against the monster's jaw as he moves to pull his sword out. It doesn't work at first, and the beast whips his head and throws the man away, the sword still embedded in his eye. There's a moment where it hesitates, kicking it's many legs in different directions, and then the beast begins to wither. Almost as if they were winning.

While others cheer around her, Lindsay knows better. 

Because this is a dream. 

This is a replay of events, and she knows because of the way the sky is of a blood red shade, and the words upon the houses are morphed, and the way that the beast did exactly what she expected it to do, though this was the first time they had ever encountered an enderbeast.

A blast of purple and black comes next, she knows. She remembers the way hot static pounded through her veins, and she remembers a firm hand appearing on her forearm. Michael. She knows it's Michael, because that's how they teleported together and ended up in the same place.

This is the part where her dream takes a drastic change however, because instead of landing on soft grass like she had with Michael in the middle of the forest, she felt the sting of a stab in her chest, and suddenly the beast is standing over her, it's claw embedded in her heart. Michael's grip on her forearm is gone and she chokes and tries to cry out, but it's no use because even though she knows this is a dream, she can't shake away the burning sensation in her throat and the way the blood bubbles at her lips, and then she's falling into oblivion, and Michael is screaming her name from the void.

She awakens with a sudden jerk; a gasp of breath drawn where she had been holding it. There's a moment of panic where she doesn't recognize her surroundings, and she feels a pounding in her chest as she blinks the starry sky into focus. The claw. The claw in her chest, choking and killing and... 

It's not real. Lindsay breathes. The air is soft and quiet, and she grips the blanket of her sleeping bag. Lindsay remains still, forcing air in and out of her lungs with a desperate need to breathe and rid the fake taste of blood she had in her mouth. The forest is dark and unknowing around her, and she listens for any sort of mob that may be nearby. When she heard nothing, she sighs and reaches a hand towards where Michael should be laying, hoping to find some sort of comfort. But instead, it's empty. That's when she sits up and moves her hand to her chest, feeling for the red respawn crystal tied by a thin chain around her neck, and grips it in her fist as if to find comfort.

She wants to go home.

Her house, she remembers, went up in flames sometime during the battle. No doubt her bed respawn crystal had melted. Being lost was never usually a problem. They could always kill themselves and appear back in their beloved city within a few hours. It was painful, yes, but easy and efficient, and they never had the worry of someone going missing.

Lindsay shook her head. The blast had done some sort of teleportation, like an ender creature would, but she had never seen an ender teleport another being. That must have been what happened to Ray.

Enderbeasts were only in ghost stories; they weren't supposed to exist.

She feels as though she should worry as to where Michael dissapeared to, but she spots his missing cloak and sword, and only assumes that he went to the nearest village. Instead of feeling worried, she only feels a pang of frustration. They were going to do that together.

She's not sure which direction the village was in, so she sighs and reaches for Michael's backpack to see if they have any food left. If not, there's bound to be some animals nearby.

Lindsay draws her sword and stands, stepping away from their little campsite and entering the dark of the woods where she hears a cow's call in the distance


	2. Scattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, thanks for continuing on the story! I hope you're enjoying it. I wanna give a quick shout-out to my beta too, because she deserves it. Thanks Kase!

When Michael arrives several hours later, Lindsay is awake despite it being around four in the morning, and she is sitting on the sleeping-bag they had found discarded in another nearby town. In front of her is a blazing fire with animal meat cooking above it. The smell of the food reaches his nose long before his eyes can find it, and he breathes in the scent as if it were a feast. He could see the glow of the fire from far off, and approaches her under the cover of night. When the sound of the horse trampling the ground beneath its hooves meets Lindsay's ears, she arms herself, grabbing the bow and arrow and pulling the string back with a silent breath.

"Easy, Linds, it's just me." He calls out as he nears, the horse fidgeting against the reins.

Lindsay relaxes her hold, putting the bow and arrow down and tucking it away. "Did you get directions to- Um, is that a horse?" She asks, cocking an eyebrow.

Michael shrugged. "No, I didn't get the directions, and uh, yeah it is."

She takes one look at the tack and saddle as Michael dismounts. "You kidnapped a horse?!" She asks, eyes wide.

He shrugs again, a half-smile on his face. "I wouldn't say kidnapped..."

Lindsay rolls her eyes, putting both hands up to cradle the horse's face. "Well, he's beautiful, but now we can't stay here. They'll be looking for him, and I'd rather not get arrested."

Michael joins her side and scratches at the horse's ears. "Well, Hidalgo will be happier with me than those nasty villagers, that's for sure."

"Hidalgo?" Lindsay giggles, turning to look at Michael, and they share a laugh. It's good. There are so many things wrong with the situation they're in, but Lindsay's glad she's not alone. She's so glad she's not alone.

Silence fell over them for the hours following as the food finished cooking, and they sat down on their sleeping-bags to eat. The sun rose higher, and the summer day grew hotter. Overall, they really didn't have much to talk about except for theories concerning the beast and possible directions they should travel in. It wasn't until around noon that Michael noticed Lindsay's hand grasping her respawn crystal necklace in a vice grip. "You okay?" He scoots to sit beside her, his body heat warming her side even more than the scorching sun was doing. It should have been uncomfortable, but she welcomes it, glad that she had not been teleported alone. He flings an arm across her shoulders and she nods, releasing her respawn crystal from her grasp.

They sit in this silence for a few minutes, and Lindsay lays her head against his shoulder. She knows that he's upset too, though he doesn't care to admit it. 

It's the way Michael holds himself. His shoulders are sagged, his eyes tired, and she knows he hasn't been sleeping well either. She feels a kiss on her hair before Michael leans his head against her own, and she smiles despite their situation. The air is peaceful, and her stomach is full. Due to sleepiness, she almost begins to nod off against Michael until he flinches, causing her to jerk her head up from off his shoulder.

It's then that she registers the sound of a zombie nearby. She should be afraid, she knows, but a lifetime of respawning after death has left her nearly fearless to several mobs. Michael moves to stand, but she reaches over and grabs the sword from his side and kisses his cheek along the way. "I got him. You don't get to have all the fun today."

His hand grasps at her wrist when she moves and she turns back, confusion clear in her expression. She meets Michael's serious gaze and finds concern and worry, as if he were re-living the events of their city's separation. She could easily free herself from him, but she doesn't. Instead, she matches his gaze and gives him a small smile, hoping to assure him. When he realizes that he's holding onto her wrist, he breaths shakily and let’s go. "Be careful." He says softly, and Lindsay nods, holding back any sort of sarcastic remark on the tip of her tongue.

The sun’s starting to set, and the forest is full of shade. The sound isn't far away now, and she could begin to see the lanky figure of the mob yards away from her. Michael watches her as she leaves, her husband's diamond sword comfortable in her hand.

The zombie takes three swings before she manages to behead it, and she pants from the short shot of adrenaline. Lindsay looks around, alert for any more mobs, and then freezes at the two silhouettes in the distance.

Curiosity gets the best of her and she begins to walk towards them, keeping to the shade of the trees and holding her cloak close at her chest. "Linds?" She hears Michael call, and she curses under her breath. But thankfully, the strangers didn't hear him.

She marches back to their fire and shushes him, drawing a fistful of his cloak and dragging him to his feet. "There are people over there."

"So?" He hissed back, giving her a look.

"So? You just kidnapped a horse!"

He opens his mouth to reply but stops short, understanding what she means. "Good point." He mutters. She nods knowingly and tugs him towards the supplies, already grabbing the sleeping-bag and haphazardly folding it into the small backpack. They scoop up their belongings and the leftover food before dumping a bucket of river water on the fire and mounting the dappled horse.

"Let's get out of here." Michael mutters before encouraging Hidalgo into motion. Lindsay throws her arms around Michael's waist and presses her chest into his back, her head peeking over his shoulder at the forest ahead of them.

"Wait, I heard something." Someone's voice echoes off of the trees, and Michael curses under his breath.

"My horse!" Another person, walking considerably closer to the pair than the other, shouts so suddenly that the horse kicks into a faster gear. "There's my horse!"

Michael's head turns so sharply that he nearly knocks it into Lindsay's head. He doesn't stop to apologize and instead shouts "Duck!" to which Lindsay obeys without second thought as an arrow whizzes over both of their heads.

Michael kicks, but the horse refuses to cooperate, rearing up so that Lindsay begins to slide backwards until her vice grip on her husband holds firm and her legs squeeze the horse's back. The horse grounds his hooves once more and he takes off as another arrow whizzes past the couple's heads.

Michael curses under his breath, wishing he had a free arm to do something. Another arrow rips through the air, causing a whiff beside Lindsay's ear, and she flinches away from it. The horse shifts into a gallop, and Michael makes a sharp turn.

Several arrows whiff by the duo, but one manages to nick Lindsay’s right leg, tearing the cloth of her pants and skimming the skin of her leg. She hisses in pain and feels the sudden urge to cover it, but she cannot move. She could only hold on for dear life, and hope that their pursuers don't have any more luck in hitting them.

It's only less than a minute later when the arrows stop coming in. Lindsay looks behind her and sees the vast forest, large and empty, and finds relief in the fact that their pursuers are left in the dust. She sighs, leaning against her husband's back with her arms clutching his waist. Their supplies managed to stay with them, sitting in Michael's lap of all places, and it seems as though they got away safely. "One of the arrows scratched my leg." She muttered to Michael, who turned his head as if to look.

"How bad is it?" He asks, agitated, but his is voice full of worry.

"Not bad, it's just bleeding a little bit." She replies, and it really isn't bad at all. It just feels a lot worse than it looks, she realizes, as it could have been a mere paper-cut. Then again, she can't exactly see the wound through her pants. Still, it buzzes and stings and it's painfully bleeding down her clothing in thin, red liquid drops. 

"We'll stop soon." Michael promises, looking behind him as if to find the two strangers still tailing. It's impossible, Lindsay knows, but seeing as they're both on edge she doesn't mind, and even glances over her shoulder as well. But they're safe for now.

They only hoped the others were okay too.

\---

Gavin's starving.

He didn't have any coins in his pockets when he teleported to who-knows-where, and the town nearby didn't make any exceptions concerning the cost of food. He didn't have any weapons either; all he had was his bow. All his arrows had fallen out before the Enderbeast struck with the teleporting beam thing, or whatever the heck it was. If anything, he just needed arrows. Arrows of any kind, really. But those came with a cost, and he didn't have any means of coming across easy money.

It was the fourteenth store and the third Village he entered that really struck his last nerve, and he made a fist with his hand on the counter. "Sir, I promise to pay at a later time, may I please purchase this set of arrows?" He says through bared teeth. 

"I told you, sir," The worker grumbles in a thick voice full of agitation. "You must pay upfront or no deal."

"Please, I beg you, I have enough money at home, but I just need arrows to get there! You have to believe me!"

The worker's demeanor does not change, and he simply shakes his head. "Come back when you have money I can see for myself." He takes the arrows off the counter and drops them beneath the desk, staring his customer down.

Gavin was seconds away from trading his respawn crystal necklace for the arrows. The thing was useless anyway without the other piece attached to his bed that melted in the Enderbeast attack. But he decides that's too much. Instead, he growls to himself and storms out of the shop, slamming the door behind him.

Gavin Free doesn't get irritated easily. In fact, he's pretty even-tempered most of the time. It's a bold statement to point out, especially now as he walks down the street of this unknown town with his hands clenched into fists at his sides. But this... this whole situation, it's gotten to the last straw. Every step is full of outrage, his eyes engulfed with anger. He's so caught up in his thoughts that he trips on a stone and falls to the ground belly-first, a string of curses leaving his mouth so loud that half the town must have heard him.

He gets up and brushes the dirt off to move on, but stops short when he sees something move in the alley to his right. The air chills and he shivers, stopping on the stone trail. He shouldn't be surprised at the homeless townsfolk, but something draws him towards the alley anyway.

There's someone lying on the ground, covered in dirt and grime, and Gavin almost leaves to continue his search for arrows. But as it is, he recognizes the form. Recognizes the face. He gasps through his hand, suddenly becoming very dizzy.

"Ray!" Gavin shouts, racing into the alley and kneeling beside his unconscious friend. He is still, and does not stir at Gavin's voice. "Ray?"

He looks horrible. His arm is cut open (Gavin remembers the wound the Enderbeast inflicted on him), but he looks different than the last time he saw him. Worse. His clothes are torn, he has a few bruises on his legs and arms from what Gavin could see, and his breathing was labored. He also has a thick bruise on his head, as well as a deep cut on the back of his leg.

Gavin ran a hand through his friend's hair, feeling the grime and grease between his knuckles, before moving to boost his friend up into a sitting position. He's definitely unconscious, but he lets out a little moan at the movement and Gavin freezes, wondering if he was stirring awake.

No dice. He stills once more and Gavin shifts, getting his friend to lean his back against the building beside them. Another idea springs into Gavin's mind and he reaches out, fishing into his friend's pants pockets for coins. When he finds nothing, he curses to himself and shifts, turning around so that he can piggyback his friend. Ray wheezes in his ear once he gets him situated, and then he's moving on heavy feet.

Gavin's stomach is loud and obnoxious, but he ignores it, mostly because there isn't anything he can really do. He also really wants to get into the thick of the woods surrounding the buildings, but he doesn't trust leaving the safety of the town without a weapon of some kind.

So he wanders, not really sure where he's going or what he's looking for, but he is keeping an eye on the ground for lost coins.

A few people are walking outside and give him curious glances when he passes, but he pays them no mind. Thankfully the number of townsfolk decreases as the sun sets, and he's left to walk peacefully with the heavy weight of his unconscious friend on his back. Fatigue worsens with each step, and his eyelids begin to droop all on their own.

It takes him a long time to hear the clinging of coins behind him, and he stops short in surprise, his gaze tearing away from the ground. He's wide awake now. The sound stops as soon as his feet do, and his mind races. Retreating into a nearby alley, he lets Ray down (his arms and legs all collectively sigh in relief, he's not exactly a feather), and then looks his friend over. There's a pocket he hadn't noticed inside Ray's cloak, and he digs his hand in before pulling out several small coins. It's not much, but it may be just enough for a set of arrows.

He hates to leave his friend, but he kind of can't carry him anymore. At least for a while. He exits the alley and surveys the street, trying to find a store that would sell arrows. It takes him several long moments to realize that it's now probably midnight, and all the storeowners probably went to bed. It was too late for the day.

Downcast and tired, he decides to give up for the night and go get them in the morning. His feet drag against the stone ground as he retreats back into the alley and settles down beside where Ray is laying, and he curls up in an attempt to ward off the cold.

His stomach growls again, but it's nothing compared to the panic in his gut over the fact that Ray seems really bad off. His breathing is labored, his arm probably infected, and there are more injuries that Gavin can't quite figure out how they got there or where they came from. He feels sick.

He lies facing Ray, reaching out to place a hand on his friend's shoulder before closing his eyes.

Gavin's sleep is restless and rough, his consciousness slipping in and out at random times. During the times he manages to sleep, he gets trapped in feverish nightmares that don't make any sense, and he ends up fidgeting awake over and over again, coated in sweat and adrenaline. Each time he does, he awakens to Ray's peaceful face, and Gavin grounds himself mentally before closing his eyes and trying again.

In one particular nightmare he is falling. It's dark all around him, and he sees nothing. All he feels is the clenching of his stomach and the sound of his cries as he screams. His name is being called, and it speaks in the softest voice he could possibly hear. He can't seem to register its identification, however, and continues to freefall into oblivion. Again, his name is called. And again. And eventually he's jerking awake, panting loudly, his eyes wide as the dream dissipates around him and he feels the stone beneath his shoulder. But this time is different. It's completely different, because Ray is looking back at him this time with his dark brown eyes, his expression concerned and curious. "Gavin?" He rasps.

"Ray." Gavin sits up and smiles, the world spinning around him for several seconds until he manages to steady his mind. "You okay? How are you feeling?"

The boy shifts a bit and winces. "I could have better luck, I guess."

"You look horrible."

"Gee, thanks."

"No, I'm serious." Gavin crosses his legs. It's still dark, but now he's wide awake knowing that Ray's okay. Or at least... conscious. "How did you get those injuries?"

His friend closes his eyes and doesn't answer after a moment, and a flash of panic strikes Gavin's gut. But no, he's still awake. It takes him several seconds to reply coherently though. "The beast cut my arm open." Ray says, pulling the injury close to his stomach. It looks terrible. It should be treated as soon as possible.

"Duh, I saw that part." Gavin sounds frustrated. "I'm talking about the other injuries, like that cut on the back of your leg or that bruise on your forehead."

Ray looks a bit embarrassed, and he lies still for several moments before he struggles into a sitting position. Gavin's expression softens as he reaches forward with a hand on his friend's back to help, and they both shift towards the wall beside them. Now sitting up with their backs to something solid, Gavin notices that Ray's breathing a little easier now, and looks a bit less pained. "When I got teleported, I got teleported on top of a roof. And then I rolled off because, well y'know. Gravity."

Gavin winces at the thought of falling from the height of the building in their previous ally, and looks back at Ray. "You fell off a bloody roof?" He mutters, and Ray shrugs a bit painfully.

It's silent for a long time while they both look in different directions, trying to figure out what to do. After several long moments Ray releases a heavy sigh says, "I can't get up, can you go get us some poison berries from the woods outside the town?"

Gavin's expression flickers from tired to terrified almost immediately, but Ray doesn't catch it at first. "What?" Gavin asks for clarity, and Ray looks up at him.

"Poison berries. So we can respawn home." He says, and then they lock eyes. 

Ray's expression changes, and they hold their gaze for several seconds before Gavin shakes his head. "No." The lighter-haired boy replies.

"No? What do you mean no?" Ray sounds frustrated this time, but Gavin's horrified expression is unfazed.

"Ray, the respawn beds were destroyed." He says in the smallest of voices.

His friend's entire demeanor changes almost at once, his eyes widening. Ray hesitates several moments before speaking. "What- what do you mean?"

Gavin turns away, shaking his head with clenched hands. He can feel Ray's gaze burning into his head. "The bloody Enderbeast destroyed them. We can't respawn."

The town is dead silent in the thick of night, and the two friends stay in the safety of their ally. It's still late, the moon high in the sky, so they decide to go back to sleep. They lie down in the ally, facing each other, with Gavin's hand on Ray's shoulder. They're both shaking; both from fright and from cold. Nothing changes from before; Gavin still finds himself falling into a feverish nightmare each time he falls asleep, but now each time he wrestles himself awake, it's to the eyes of Ray as his friend calms him down with soft words of assurance. He does the same to help his friend calm down later when he awakens to Ray breathing quick and shallow in his sleep, his hands clenching and unclenching beside him, and sweat practically pouring down his face in buckets. He looks really sick.

It's not the best situation they could be in, but Gavin figures it could be worse. He could still be wandering the city looking for loose coins on the stone streets all alone. When day comes, Gavin fishes into Ray's pocket for the coins and draws them out while his friend is still sleeping, and then he stands and retreats into the town, off to search for a store that sells arrows.


	3. Spineless, Sickness, and Spawnless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks so much to my beta. You rock, Kasey! 
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying the story. I know I sure am. Thanks for the kudos to those who left them, it's greatly appreciated! On to the story!

Ray remembers the night well. It had been late, his City glowing with torches outside his window, and it had been, for the most part, peaceful. In fact, he hadn't even fallen asleep yet when the attack happened. He was found lying face up in bed, staring at his ceiling half asleep when Geoff's frantic voice met his ears. It had been loud, full of authority, and his door was swung so fast on it's hinges that it slammed into the wall behind it, causing Ray to jump into a sitting position.

He didn't quite make out what Geoff was telling him, but he put two and two together to realize they were under attack. Geoff was gone just as suddenly as he appeared, and Ray grabbed his sword and his cloak on his way out, adrenaline coursing through his veins. The change of pace was so sudden that he felt a little dizzy at first, marching into the open square of his City to see... that beast. The Enderbeast.

Everyone else had come out of their houses as well, armed to the teeth and ready to fight. It seemed as though it would be an easy victory with the entire City fighting against it, but...

Ray woke up to stone, present day, injured and sick. It has to have been about two days since. Maybe. Something's off, however, when he opens his eyes. Oh, Gavin should be facing him. Gavin is here somewhere. He shifts and, forgetting his injuries, stoppa short as an electric shock of pain engulfs him. With air escaping his mouth through his gritted teeth, he swallows shakily and looks around him. The cold sweat on his skin makes him feel sticky and tired, and he feels a bout of nausea climb up his stomach. Bracing himself against the wall, he lets out a shaky breath, looking around for Gavin.

He should be here, right? Ray frowns, pressing his back against the wall. Yeah, he was just here... unless Ray had hallucinated him.

Taking larger gasps of air, he realizes that that could very well be a possibility. He certainly felt sick enough. 

...But it had felt real. Ray clenches his hands and becomes lightheaded as his breaths come shallower, and he realizes that he's alone. He has no idea what to do or how to get home from here.

He's alone, sick, hurt, dying...

He presses the pads of his hands into his eyes and gasps for air. Sweat drips down his head, and shivers attack his nerves. He can barely move, let alone travel all the way to Achievement City alone. He'll die here. He will. Ray feels hot tears in his eyes.

When Gavin finds him later, panicking with his back to the wall and knees drawn up to his chest, it takes the Brit several long minutes to calm him down. Ray's eyes bore into Gavin's gaze even as his entire body shudders with each breath, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He won't speak, no matter how many times Gavin calls his name, and the Brit is growing worried as each second passes.

And then, in the midst of his panic, he chokes out: "Are you real?"

Gavin stops dead, his hands frozen on his friend's face from trying to coax him into breathing slower. "What?" He asks.

"Are you real? I'm not hallucinating?" He tries again, breathless. Locking his eyes with Gavin, his friend gives him the oddest of looks. 

"Of- Of course I'm bloody real you idiot!" Gavin's eyebrows furrow. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I-" Ray pauses. Because he's sick. Because he wants to go home. Because out of every place in the world, Gavin wound up finding the place he teleported to. Ray shakes his head. He's still breathing too fast for his liking, and attempts to calm himself down by mentally counting in his head. "Where did you go?"

Gavin's gaze softens almost immediately, bending Ray's head up to look at him better. His skin is hot and sticky, but he's shivering beneath his touch. It's a combination Gavin only recognizes as fever. "I went to buy some arrows." He tells him softly.

Ray doesn't say anything, but looks away as if trying to think. Gavin frowns, swiping a thumb across where a stray tear had left his friend's eye. It's unusual, he's never seen his friend so horror-stricken. It hurts to see him this way, and for a moment, wondered if he should have bought medical supplies instead of the arrows.

"Ray." Gavin says, and the dark-haired boy finds his friend's gaze once more. "I'm going to hunt for us, okay? I may be a while, but you have to promise to hold on."

He wants to ask what he means by that, but Ray knows he's bad off. He nods lazily against Gavin's hands and then feels the nausea growing once more. He may puke yet.

Gavin's suddenly gone after a moment and Ray begins to panic again, wondering if he really was just hallucinating him. But then Gavin steps back into his field of vision again with a dirty rag and a bucket. "Filled this up while I was out..." He was saying. "I don't know if it's clean to drink, but you should wet this cloth and keep it on your head. That's how we treat fever in Achievement City, right?" He looks nervous, as if afraid that he's doing the wrong thing.

Despite the situation, Ray lets himself smile a little. "Right, buddy." At least, he certainly hopes it will help. He kinda wants to bind up the arm and leg wounds too, and somehow he realizes thar Gavin is actually on the same page. He comes back with more dirty cloths and then looks at the bucket of water.

"Do you think I should wet the bandages to clean them? Or should I apply them dry? They're a little dirty, but-"

Ray lazily shrugs. He doesn't know this stuff. In the end, Gavin decides that since the forehead cloth is wet, it would be safe to wet the cloth he will use to bandage his friend's wounds. He dunks it in the cold water and hesitates, looking Ray over before touching the cloth to the arm wound.

The sensation is so sharp and so painful on his arm that before Ray knows it, he's screaming. Gavin pulls back immediately and begins frantically yelling "Sorry!" on repeat, standing over him with the cloth squeezed in his hands.

Ray swallows and shakes his head, holding his good hand up. "Not- your fault." He feels like he's going to pass out. "The wound- is infected. And that Enderbeast had some- killer acid-spit in it's fangs. It's going t-to hurt either way." He tells him, and he's not sure if that's true. Ray doesn't know how to deal with an infected wound, and neither does Gavin.

"Sorry- for screaming." Ray says through a strained breath before promptly passing out, his head rolling onto his shoulder. Gavin stands over him for several long moments, his own breathing beginning to pick up a fast pace. And then he swallows, crouches, and uses his time to bandage Ray's wounds. There's no movement this time; Ray's out cold. He doesn't know which is better anymore. Gavin wishes he had his scarf. It would have been both easier and cleaner to bandage Ray's arm with, and it could have made this whole situation a little easier to deal with.

When he's done, he decides to take a look through the other allys for one last thing. When he finds a large discarded coat (close enough, Gavin thinks), he returns to Ray and places it over his front as a makeshift blanket. It will have to do for now. Maybe he can sell some of his meat to a storeowner for money and buy some proper medical supplies.

Gavin takes one last look at his friend before entering the forest with his bow grasped firmly in his hand, and arrows strapped to his back.

-~*~-

Lindsay was lucky. The cut was, as she assumed, not very deep, and just required some cleansing and a bandage. He's no Caleb, but Michael's actually a pretty decent medic if she did say so herself. He's pretty silent at first, washing some of the dirt out of the wound with available river-water and wrapping it in a piece of cloth he had torn from his bright yellow shorts.

Lindsay had giggled, watching as he tore the end off of his shorts' right leg. "Keep that up and you'll be flashing your ass to the entire forest. Spare us the sight, please." She laughs.

"Well, don't get anymore wounds and we'll be solid." He replies through a grin, wrapping the bandage around her outstretched leg. "I don't want to moon the forest either, Lindsay, but it can't be helped if the other option is bleeding to death."

"I hardly think I can bleed to death from a papercut." She says, wiggling her toes.

"You never know!" He replies, laughing a bit.

Lindsay suddenly stiffens when he touches the wound the wrong way, and his entire demeanor melts before her very eyes. "Sorry." He mutters, looking very similar to a kicked puppy. He focuses his attention to be more careful now, and Lindsay frowns at the silence.

Hidalgo whinnies a few feet away from them, and Lindsay looks around. "Think we're close to another Village yet?" She asks.

"Not sure." He says quietly, his eyes not leaving her leg as he ties the end up. "Hope so."

"How about I take lead in asking for directions this time?" Lindsay suggests, a half smile on her face. She flips her hair with a sign of confidence. "Maybe I'll have a little more luck."

Michael considers it, and then shrugs. "Sure, knock yourself out."

They find a village by the time evening rolls around, stepping foot into a nearby cafe with coins gripped in Michael's hand. They don't have much now, and their stomachs grumble at the thought of running out of money. They feel lucky enough to have money as it is, but they're not going to live off of a few measly coins forever. However, if this goes right, they should get home soon. There shouldn't be a problem.

"Hello." Lindsay greets with a warm smile, and Michael lingers at her shoulder for several seconds before seating himself on her left. The waiter greets them in response and gives them a moment to oversee the menu, looking for whatever was cheapest.

Michael swears under his breath when he realizes he's going to have to eat mushroom stew again. It's the cheapest item of the many, and he sighs with distaste. He hates it.

"Two mushroom stews." Lindsay orders without looking at Michael, and the waiter prepares their meals. Michael continually looks down at his chest to make sure his respawn crystal is tucked far into his clothes, his heart beginning to pound in his ears. They didn't need trouble here; they couldn't afford it. They needed to get home as soon as entirely possible.

When the bowl is pushed towards Michael, he lets out a tired breath and takes a sip. He kind of wishes they would just stick to animal food they catch in the forest, but he's not going to get any answers if he doesn't make the waiter happy by ordering. He swallows shakily and attempts to look like he's enjoying it.

Several moments pass before Lindsay summons the waiter back in their direction. "Hey there, I need some directions if you don't mind? I'm- delivering a package and I don't think I'm heading the right direction. Which way is Achievement City?"

A few heads turn, the chaos dies down a few notches, and Michael swallows. But this waiter seems friendly and warm in comparison to the prior man. "Most certainly! It's far South from here. Down that direction!" He points with his hand. "Quite a ways, too! Must be an important package."

"Ah, it's just a supply of..." Lindsay hesitates, which is a bad move. She regrets it almost immediately. Michael feels too hot for his own skin all of a sudden, as if every pair of eyes in the room are now staring them down. In an attempt to recover her mistake, Lindsay turns around. "What was it again, dear? It's on the tip of my tongue!"

Michael looks like the embodiment of terror, and Lindsay doesn't look too collected either. So instead of throwing it on him, she suddenly snaps and turns back, an idea in her head. "Wait, that's right! It was a load of redstone." She makes a sweeping motion with her hand. "Heard their mines were wiped clean, and a friend from afar decided to lend a hand. They're all in crates. I've been travelling for days now, I must be so exhausted to forget what I'm handling!"

The waiter and half the cafe are staring at them now, and Michael places a hand on Lindsay's shoulder to give her the hint to shut up. She listens as soon as he makes contact and they both remain deathly still in their seats.

The waiter's eyes are... well... Michael can't exactly get a read on them. He doesn't seem as sinister as their last man. At least their crystals are well hidden. But he does notice the exact moment that the eyes of their waiter shift up and over their heads. And then they widen, his entire form stiffening.

Confused, the duo turn around to see what he's staring at. Out the glass windows, people are running down the sidewalk, looking terrified. The waiter throws his rag down and moves, and many of the cafe customers stand as well to see what the commotion was. Those who rise all attempt to exit the small building at once, making it crowded for several seconds before Michael and Lindsay shove their way onto the street.

There, several people are crowding around the front of an alleyway, and a few of them are even screaming. The two approach the area alongside many other curious onlookers, but they fight their way through the crowd to get a look.

Michael sees first. Sees the blood. The knife. The body. Caleb.

That's Caleb.

The crowd is still standing several feet away from him, but Michael and Lindsay push through to reach him and crash to their knees beside him. No one stops them as Michael rips apart Caleb's shirt to get a look at the chest wound bleeding out. Obviously it had been made by the knife still clutched in Caleb's right hand. Lindsay kneels beside the boy's face and cups it with her hands, calling his name and slapping his face in an attempt to wake him. Michael reaches for his wrist and feels a slow, uneven pulse.

He takes and rips the other leg of his yellow shorts to stop the bleeding. Caleb isn't waking up. Everything is spinning around him, and Michael feels himself beginning to panic. It feels like an eternity, but after several seconds pass, the pulse in Caleb's wrist suddenly stops. Everything stills.

Everything stills.

Lindsay's crying and Michael's hypervenhillating and the crowd is still panicking but he can't hear any of it. He's numb. For many long, horrified moments, the two just kneel there, hands on Caleb as if maybe they could will him back to life if they prayed hard enough.

Nothing within him stirs.

Lindsay moves first, reaching for Caleb's neck and pulling out the respawn crystal chain. She's still crying, but somehow manages to uncable the hooked chain and pull the necklace close. She keeps her back to the crowd, tucking the artifact into her pocket and planting a sorrowful kiss on Caleb's forehead as she does so. He doesn't stir.

If the respawn crystal was working, his body should have teleported back to his bed in Achievement City. But, their suspicions were right. The beds were destroyed. There would be no respawning.

Caleb Denecour is dead.

Michael moves to stand when he feels like his legs can finally hold him, and he reaches a hand out for Lindsay. She turns and stares for several seconds with tear-filled eyes, and Michael watches as they sparkle in the sunset light. And then, ever so gently, she takes his hand and he pulls her up.

"He tried to respawn by committing suicide." Michael says after several hours pass, when they're riding Hidalgo through the dark, eerie woods. "He must not have known the beds were destroyed."

South. That's where Achievement City is. That's where home is.

Lindsay nods, and they don't say another word. They continue to ride in silence even long after they've traveled through the night and watched the sun peak above the horizon, the image of their friend stained into their memories.

How many others, Lindsay wonders, met similar fates? How many others did not know?


End file.
